Nawlin’s Heat with Southern Charm

One of my very favorite parts of living in New Orleans is all the lovely architecture. With both Spanish and French history, the houses in this area have such a unique combination of charm as well as romance. Many houses feature large, white columns, gas lanterns, and my personal favorite, porches. The roads are lined with palm trees as well as oak trees giving this area a historical yet tropical vibe. My husband and I love walking through the different areas of New Orleans and pointing out features that we want to implement into our “dream home” one day.  These are a few of our favorite houses with both unique architecture and southern charm. 

 All the beautiful Oak trees

 High windows and intricate details

 Lovely summer flowers in full blossom

 Gas lanterns are very popular around here

 Columns and porches

 More columns

 Southern charm at its finest

 Columns, shutters and beautiful greenery

 The colors of summer

 Tropical notes on every corner

My husbands favorite with gas lanterns, a porch, rocking chairs and a swing

Thanks for reading!  

Best friends that cook together, stay together!

My best friend, Rebekah

Some of my all time favorite recipes come from friends and family. I don’t know if it’s the recipe I love so much or the memories I made with those people while making those recipes that captures my heart. This recipe comes from my best friend, partner in crime, maid-of-honor and all around greatest girl I know. She shared this recipe with me while we were roommates at Auburn one chilly, fall evening, and I have continued to make it ever since.  It’s a relatively simple and clean recipe to make but so very good! My husband always enjoys having this salad (about once a month since I love it so much) with extra salad dressing of course! I hope you enjoy!

Southwestern Chicken Salad

.       1 whole rotisserie chicken

.       ½ red onion diced

.       1T olive oil

.       1 sliced Red bell pepper

.       1 sliced Green bell pepper

.       ½ T Cumin

.       1t salt

.       1t black pepper

.       ¼ t sugar

.       1 can of corn (drained)

.       Fresh mixed greens of your choice

Dressing:

.       The juice of one key lime

.       2T of fresh chopped cilantro

.       1 bottle of your favorite ranch dressing

Toppings:

.       Cheese flavored corn chips (crushed)

.       Shredded mozzarella cheese

Remove all chicken meat and loosely shred in a bowl. Place to the side. Place olive oil in a skillet and allow it to heat. Add onion and spices and cook until transparent. Place sliced bell peppers in the skillet and gently cook. 

Pepper and onion mixture

Add the corn and chicken to the bell pepper mixture and heat consistently. Allow this mixture to “marry” on low for about 10 minutes before serving.

For the dressing, juice one lime in a bowl and add a bottle of ranch dressing. Mix this together and the acidity from the lime will thicken the dressing. Then add 2T of fresh chopped cilantro to the mix and stir thoroughly. Let this set in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to mix together. 

Chicken and pepper mixture

Place the chicken and pepper mixture over a bed of lettuce and then add cheese flavored corn chips and mozzarella cheese over the chicken.  Generously add as much dressing as your heart desires! Enjoy everyone!

The most delicious Southwestern Chicken Salad!

Rainy Day Blues

I don’t know about you, but I love it when it rains. I guess I’m in the right place then, because it seems that every afternoon in New Orleans we get a shower. Some days they are mild and other days they are monsoons but rain never the less. Today I decided it would be the perfect day to have an easy but delicious Crockpot meal so I could enjoy the serenity of the rain instead of tending to the food in the kitchen. I opted to make a succulent Pot Roast with carrots, onions and potatoes. It’s the perfect meal balanced with proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Did I mention biscuits too? Well that’s where the “fats” come in!  Every southern woman knows that a meal isn’t complete without a biscuit (or two)!

Biscuits for the Roast and vegetables to be placed over.

My Husband likes his biscuits open faced and "sloppy" style! :)

The finished product! Perfect meal for a rainy day!

Be sure to check out the recipe after the break...

Welcome to New Orleans!

Our new cottage in Old Metairie

Let's be real, who really has time to blog anyway? Well, my husband and I just moved to New Orleans for his Orthodontic Residency and I have some new found free time (since he has his nose in a book)! When we found out we were moving here I decided I wanted to capture the moments and experience this city to the fullest. New Orleans is known for its rich heritage, spicy food and unique culture, and we are looking forward to experiencing it all! Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend! Let the good times roll!